Robotic Drowning Rescue System

ABSTRACT

A system remotely monitors a potential drowning victim and remotely and passively detects one or more drowning indicia. Upon detecting one or more drowning indicia, the system acquires location coordinates of the victim and activates a self-propelled robotic submersible, which travels to the victim&#39;s location and uses one or more sensors to position itself directly below the victim in the body of water. When the sensors have confirmed the position of the submersible directly below the victim, the submersible initiates the rescue operation by lifting or floating the victim above the surface of the water. The submersible then transports the victim to an area where he/she can be resuscitated and receive medical attention.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of devices and methods for detecting and responding to situations in which individuals are or may be drowning in a body of water. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method by which drowning prevention measures are passively deployed—that is, deployed without any action or involvement on the part of either the potential drowning victim or a bystander.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about ten people die from accidental drowning every day. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States. Even when drowning incidents are non-fatal, more than half of drowning victims require hospitalization or further care. Non-fatal drowning injuries often include brain damage with associated long-term disabilities, such as memory problems, learning impairments, and/or permanent loss of motor functions.

The prevention of drowning and effective intervention in potential drowning situations involve two technical challenges: (1) early detection of potential drowning circumstances, with minimal “false alarms,” and (2) rapid and effective responsive measures to re-enable the victim's respiration by either lifting/floating the victim above the water or draining the water body in which the victim is drowning.

With respect to drowning detection, the art in this field has focused on four types of methods: (a) detection of a victim's subsurface motions by microwave, optical and/or sonic sensors, (b) detection of failing vital signs, such as cardiac arrest, through a special wristband worn by the victim, (c) activation of a distress signal by the victim him/herself, and (d) observation of the distressed victim by a bystander. Of these methods, only the first can truly be considered a “passive” detection system, since the other three methods require one or more active steps or precautions by the victim or a bystander. In circumstances where a solitary drowning victim has become non-responsive or panic-stricken, these “active” methods of drowning detection will prove ineffective.

Furthermore, the “passive” drowning detection methods known in the art erroneously target frantic subsurface motions as supposed indicia of drowning. As experts in maritime safety have documented, however, a drowning victim is typically nearly motionless, upright in the water and not kicking his/her legs to keep him/herself afloat. Since the victim's energy and attention is totally absorbed in gasping for air each time his/her mouth bobs up above the water, he/she is often unable to call out, wave for help or even reach for a lifeline.

With respect to rapid and effective responsive measures once a drowning situation is detected, one type of method is to quickly drain the body of water in which the victim is drowning. This type of method is taught in our co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/058,979, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. While rapid drainage methods can be effectively implemented in relatively small bodies of water, such as shallow wading pools for small children, they are not suited for larger water bodies.

Several U.S. patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,129,905, 4,747,168, 6,127,930, and 7,479,891, disclose swimming pool rescue systems based on an inflatable float and/or netting rising from the bottom of the pool to lift/float the victim above the water. Since these systems lack a means of localizing the rescue float/net below the drowning victim, the inflatable component must encompass the entire pool surface, as well as lifting other objects and/or persons in the pool, resulting in an inflation/deployment time interval likely to exceed the critical window for effective rescue before the victim stops breathing. Also, at the finish of the supposed “rescue” by these systems, the victim is left, with his/her lungs full of water and in respiratory distress, lying helpless on a huge mattress too bulky to be dragged out of the water by a single bystander.

Moreover, with one exception, none of the patented “whole pool” inflatable rescue systems are passively deployable, because each requires activation by the victim, a bystander or by a wristband worn by the victim. While U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,930 does describe a “whole pool” mattress inflated in response to microwave motion sensors disposed around the pool perimeter, its system is designed to be triggered by any motion within the pool, and so is usable only as a monitor during pool “downtime” and must be disabled during normal pool use (column 4, lines 24-26).

Consequently, the art in this field is distinctly lacking in a system which:

-   -   Detects documented indicia of drowning remotely—that is, without         contact or interaction with the victim and/or bystanders—and         passively—that is, without the aid of active steps, measure or         precautions taken by the victim and/or bystanders;     -   Rapidly, effectively and passively responds to a detected         drowning situation by lifting or floating the victim with a         lift/floatation means localized to the victim's position, such         that the lifted/floated victim can be moved out of body of water         to a place where he/she can be given medical attention.

The following definitions apply to the present invention as described and claimed herein:

-   -   “drowning” means a condition in which a person in a body of         water is unable to maintain their body in an orientation         allowing for sustained respiration;     -   “victim” means a person in a body of water whose behavior is         indicative of drowning;     -   “bystander” means a person able to observe the victim in the         drowning condition, either by direct visual contact or remote         monitoring;     -   “drowning indicia” means any one or more of the following signs         of drowning: (i) victim not using his/her legs to support         his/her head above the water, (2) victim's arms pressing down on         the water surface to leverage his/her head above the water, (3)         victim's nose and mouth at water level bobbing up and down, (4)         victim's body floating nearly motionless upright or leaning back         in the water, (5) victim's eyes staring, glassy, unfocused or         closed, (6) victim's hair covering their forehead or eyes, (7)         victim trying to swim but making no progress through the         water, (8) victim in respiratory distress with hyperventilation         or gasping for air, (9) victim in cardiac distress, with         elevated heartbeat, (10) victim verbally unresponsive, or (11)         victim's mouth open or gulping water;     -   “active” describes a system or device, the operation or         deployment of which requires one or more affirmative steps,         measures or precautions taken by a victim or a bystander;     -   “passive” describes a system or device, the operation of         deployment of which does not require any affirmative steps,         measure or precautions taken by a victim or a bystander;     -   “passively” describes an action or operation of a system or         device which does not require any affirmative steps, measures or         precautions taken by a victim or a bystander;     -   “remote” or “remotely” describes an action or operation of a         system or device in which the action or operation does not         involve contact with or interaction with a victim or a         bystander;     -   “biometric” describes physiological characteristics of a person,         including facial features and patterns, size, shape and patterns         of body parts, heart rate, breathing rate, DNA, and voice         patterns;     -   “biometric identification” and “biometric tracking” mean,         respectively, the identification and tracking of an individual         based on biometric data, including the use of computer         implemented algorithms or software to match an individual's         measured biometric data with one or more biometric databases;     -   “behavioral” describes the actions and behavior of a person,         including movements, bodily orientations, gestures, signals,         sounds, speech, and facial expressions;     -   “localized” describes an action, operation or device within a         distance of two feet around the perimeter of a victim's body:     -   “self-propelled” means capable of locomotion either on land or         in the water and having one or more sources of power to effect         and sustain such locomotion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system which remotely monitors a potential drowning victim and remotely and passively detects one or more drowning indicia, which may be behavioral indicia, biometric indicia, or a combination of both. Upon detecting one or more drowning indicia, the system acquires location coordinates of the victim and activates a self-propelled robotic submersible, which travels to the victim's location and uses one or more sensors to position itself directly below the victim in the body of water. When the sensors have confirmed the position of the submersible directly below the victim, the submersible initiates the first stage rescue operation by lifting or floating the victim above the surface of the water.

The first stage rescue operation is effected by the submersible in a floating mode or a lifting mode. In the floating mode, the submersible deploys an inflatable floatation device, which is stored folded and uninflated within an internal float compartment of the submersible prior to deployment. Upon initiation of the first stage rescue in the floating mode, the access doors to the float compartment are opened, and compressed air/gas is injected into the inflatable floatation device so as to expand and unfold it. The inflated floatation device rises beneath the victim to the water surface and supports the victim above the water. The floatation device is tethered to the submersible, so that the submersible can tow it with the victim aboard through the water.

In the lifting mode of the first stage rescue operation, the submersible uses a platform on its upper surface to lift the victim by ascending from directly beneath the victim to the water surface, so that the platform supports the victim above the water. The ascent of the submersible in the lifting mode can be effected either by upward propulsion and/or by the expulsion of ballast from one or more ballast tanks within the submersible.

After the first stage rescue operation is accomplished, in the second stage rescue operation the victim is either towed on the floatation device by the tethered submersible or carried on the submersible's platform out of the body of water or a border thereof where the victim can receive resuscitation and medical attention.

The drowning detection component of the system remotely and passively acquires victim data, comprising behavioral data and/or biometric data, which are compared with a compiled set of documented drowning indicia. This comparison can be implemented by a computer or microprocessor using algorithms or software to match the victim data with the drowning indicia. The detection component remotely and passively acquires the victim data using microwave, infrared, optical, sonic, or ultrasonic observations and measurements, or a combination thereof

In situations in which the present system is monitoring a body of water in which there are multiple persons, the system can use biometric data to distinguish different individuals and separately track them. In this way, even if a potential drowning victim is surrounded by other swimmers, the system can pick him/her out of the crowd and detect drowning indicia on an individualized basis.

The drowning detection component can be incorporated in the submersible, or it can constitute a separate unit which communicates wirelessly with the submersible.

The foregoing summarizes the general design features of the present invention. In the following sections, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in some detail. These specific embodiments are intended to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the present invention in accordance with the general design features discussed above. Therefore, the detailed descriptions of these embodiments are offered for illustrative and exemplary purposes only, and they are not intended to limit the scope either of the foregoing summary description or of the claims which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a self-propelled, robotic, submersible in accordance with one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a self-propelled, robotic, submersible in accordance with one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the operative process of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, one embodiment of the present invention 10 comprises a detection device 11, which monitors the victim 12 and remotely and passively acquires victim data 13, comprising behavioral and/or biometric data. The detection device compares the victim data 13 with a compiled set of documented drowning indicia. This comparison is implemented by a computer system 14 in the detection device 11, using software to match the victim data 13 with the drowning indicia. The detection device 11 remotely and passively acquires the victim data 13 using microwave, infrared, optical, sonic and/or ultrasonic observations and/or measurements.

Upon detecting one or more drowning indicia, the detection device 11 acquires location coordinates of the victim 12 and wirelessly communicates the victim's location coordinates to a self-propelled robotic submersible 15. The robotic submersible 15 thereupon travels to the victim's location and uses a positioning sensor 16 to position itself directly below the victim 12. Once so positioned, the submersible 15 initiates the first-stage rescue operation by deploying an inflatable float 17, which, prior to deployment, had been stored folded and uninflated within an internal float compartment 18 of the submersible 15.

The float compartment 18 is accessed through access doors 19, which open to release the float 17 as it is inflated by compressed air/gas from a tank 20 within the submersible. As the inflated float 17 rises from the compartment 18, it remains tethered to the submersible by a tether line 27. The inflated float 17 then rises beneath the victim 12 to lift him/her to the water surface and support him/her above the water.

The robotic submersible 15 uses its sensor 16 to determine that the victim 12 has been secured in the float 17, and then initiates the second stage rescue operation by towing the float 17 with the victim 12 out of the body of water or to a border, such as a beach area or pool side, where the victim 12 can be resuscitated and receive medical attention.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the submersible 15 can alternately be configured with a lifting platform 21 on its upper hull. In this mode, the submersible 15 lifts the victim 12 by ascending from directly below him/her up to the water surface so that the platform 21 supports the victim 12 above the water. The ascent of the submersible 15 is effected by upward propulsion and/or by expulsion of ballast from a ballast tank 22 within the submersible. The compressed air/gas tank 20 provides the force to expel ballast from the ballast tank 22.

As depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the submersible 15 can have a propulsion system comprising either propellers 23 or water jets 24, with the latter using a water inlet 25 in the bow of the submersible 15. Vertical movements of the submersible 15 are controlled by the ballast tank 22. An on-board microprocessor 26 contains the submersible's operational programming and interacts with the detection device 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drowning detection and rescue process 100 begins with identification and tracking of a potential drowning victim 101. After acquiring victim data 102, the victim data is compared with the documented drowning indicia 103. If no match is found, the process returns to the data acquisition mode 102.

If a match is found, rescue operations are initiated 104, pursuant to which the victim is lifted or floated above the water 105. Optionally, alert mechanisms, such as a lights, audible alarms, and/or telephonic/text messaging to emergency contacts, can also be activated. Next the process confirms that the victim has been secured above the water 106. If not, the lift/float step is repeated 105. If so, the victim is towed to shore or dry-ground 106, where he/she can be resuscitated and receive medical attention as needed.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many additions, modifications and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for detection of and response to a drowning of a victim in a body of water, the system comprising; a detection device, which remotely and passively acquires victim data, comprising behavioral data of the victim, or biometric data of the victim, or a combination of both behavioral data and biometric data of the victim, and which generates a rescue initiation signal if the victim data matches one or more drowning indicia; and a self-propelled, robotic, submersible rescue device, which responds to the rescue initiation signal by positioning itself directly below the victim in the body of water and either lifting the victim above the water or deploying a localized inflatable floatation device beneath the victim to float the victim above the water.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection device uses microwave, infrared, optical, sonic, or ultrasonic observations and measurements, or a combination thereof, to acquire the victim data.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rescue device has an upper platform upon which the victim is lifted above the water as the rescue device ascends from beneath the victim.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the rescue device ascends from beneath the victim to lift the victim above the water by expelling ballast from one or more ballast tanks within the rescue device.
 5. The system of claim 2 wherein the floatation device is tethered to the rescue device, such that the rescue device can drag the floatation device bearing the victim through the water.
 6. The system of either claim 4 or 5, wherein the rescue device, after lifting or floating the victim above the water, transports the victim out of the body of water or to a border thereof, so that the victim can receive resuscitation and medical attention.
 7. The system of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the detection device uses biometric data to distinguish between different individuals in the body of water and to effect biometric identification and biometric tracking of the victim.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection device uses biometric data to distinguish between different individuals in the body of water and to effect biometric identification and biometric tracking of the victim.
 9. A method for detection of and response to a drowning of a victim in a body of water, the method comprising: acquiring victim data, comprising behavioral data of the victim, or biometric data of the victim, or a combination of both behavioral data and biometric data of the victim; comparing the victim data with drowning indicia; initiating a rescue operation if the victim data matches one or more drowning indicia; effecting the rescue operation by positioning a self-propelled, robotic, submersible rescue device directly below the victim in the body of water and having the rescue device either lift the victim above the water or deploy a localized inflatable floatation device beneath the victim to float the victim above the water.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the victim data is acquired using microwave, infrared, optical, sonic, or ultrasonic observations and measurements, or a combination thereof.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the rescue device has an upper platform upon which the victim is lifted above the water as the rescue device ascends from beneath the victim.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rescue device ascends from beneath the victim to lift the victim above the water by expelling ballast from one or more ballast tanks within the rescue device.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the floatation device is tethered to the rescue device, such that the rescue device can tow the floatation device bearing the victim through the water.
 14. The method of any one of claims 9-13, wherein the rescue device, after lifting or floating the victim above the water, transports the victim out of the body of water or to a border thereof, so that the victim can receive resuscitation and medical attention.
 15. The method of any one of claims 9-13, wherein the detection device uses biometric data to distinguish between different individuals in the body of water and to effect biometric identification and biometric tracking of the victim.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the detection device uses biometric data to distinguish between different individuals in the body of water and to effect biometric identification and biometric tracking of the victim. 